Weft-replenishing loom.



Patented July 8, I902.

W. E. MOORE & F. B. CLARK.

WEFT REPLENISHING LODM.

(Application filed July 27, 1900.

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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we mmms PEYER co. Pnmaumu. WASHINGTON, n. c.

Patented July 8, I902.

W. E. MOORE &. F. R. CLARK.

WEFT REPLENISHING LODM.

(Applicaiion filed July 27, 1900.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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w M Q. M mwwwww I Alf/(W11 W/YlV/LSSZLS No. 704,485. v Patented July 8,I902. W. E. MOORE & F. R. CLARK.

WEI-"T, REPLENISHING LOOM.

(Application filed my 27, 1900.

5 Sheets-Sheet -3.

(No Model.)

INVENTORS: -ppqe Afforfleys Myra 404a.-

No. 704,485. r Patented July 8,1902.

W. E. MUURE 8|. F. R. CLARK. I

' WEFT REPLENISHING L00.

(Application filed July 27, 1900.) (No Model.) v 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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No. 704,485. Patented July 8, I902.

W. E. MOORE & F. R. CLARK.

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM.

(Application filed July 27, 1900.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

[NVEN TOR 5 si B. w

Jw flftomey g n STATES ATENT Felon.

\VILLIAM E. MOORE AND FRANK R. CLARK, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOIVl.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,48 5, dated July 8,1902.

Original application filed April 3, 1900, Serial No. 11,315. Divided andthisapplication filed July 27,1900. Serial No.

25,029- (No model.)

To rtZ/I whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM E. MOORE and FRANK R. CLARK, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond andState of Georgia, have inven ted certain new and useful Improvements inWVeft-Replenishing Looms; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to improvements in looms, and especially to thatclass of looms in which the bobbins are automatically supplied to theshuttle when the weft or filling is practically exhausted or broken.

The present application is adivision of the application for improvementsin looms filed by us April 3, 1900, serially numbered 11,315, andpatented May 21, 1901, No. 674,632, and has reference especially to theimproved means for controlling the action of automatic filling-changingmechanism by electric circuits operated either upon the practicalexhaustion or breaking of the filling.

In addition to the above feature the present invention embodies otherfeatures and combinations of parts operated in connection therewith,allof which will be fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate our invention, Figure 1represents in end elevation and partly in section a loom with ourinvention attached thereto, only so much of the loom being shown as isnecessary to illustrate the principle of the invention. Fig. 2represents in elevation, slightly enlarged, the detent mechanism foroperating the bobbinfeed magazine. Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary sideelevation of a loom provided with our invention, portions being omittedfor the sake of clearness in the drawings... Fig. 4 represents a topplan view of the said loom and attachments, showing the electriccircuits in diagram. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail view of theelectrically-operated filling-fork mechanism. Fig. 6 represents anenlarged detail view, in front elevation, of one of the retainers forholding the head of the bobbin in the magazine, and Fig. 7 represents avertical central section of the same.

, Fig. 8 represents-an enlarged fragmentary elevation of thesprocket-chains of the magazine and rods connecting them together. 9represents in enlarged side elevation one of the retainers for engagingthe toe of the bobbin and provided with a thread-end holder, and Fig. 10represents a vertical central section of the same. Fig. 11 represent-san enlarged detailed view, partly in elevation and partly in section, ofone end of a shuttleand bobbin carried thereby, showing the system ofelectrical contacts by which the empty bobbin is detected. Fig. 12represents a top plan view of the same. sents the head of a bobbin inelevation provided with a metallic ferrule, which is shown in section.Fig. 14 represents aplan view of the bottom of one-end of the shuttle,showing the metallic contact-maker carried thereby; and Fig. 15represents a top plan view of one end of the shuttle and shuttle-box,showing in dotted lines the position of the electrical contact-piecesemployed in completing the circuit to the electromagnetic magazinemech-,

anism at such times only as the shuttle is in the proper position toreceivea new bobbin.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the frame of a loom of any approved form, 13 the lay, and OC the shuttle-boxes,having the usual shuttle-bindersc c. The lay B,carried by the swords b, is rocked in the usual manner from thecrank-shaft b. The bobbin magazine feed mechanism is mounted upon aframe A, secured to one of the loom end frames, as shown,and comprises,among other parts, two sprocket-wheels D, mounted to rotate upon a shaft(1, which is secured fast to the frame A. A second shaft d is rotatablymounted in the lower portion of the frame A and carries twosprocketwheels D, the outer end of the shaft d being journaled in asupporting-frame A secured to the frame A, as shown, or cast integraltherewith, as preferred. The Wheels D and D are gearedtogetherbysprocket-chains E E. In order to secure greater rigidity, these chainsmay be connected by rods E as shown in Fig. 8. To every alternate outerlink of the chain E is secured a bobbin-retainer e, which is adapted tohold the head of the bob- Fig. 13 repre end of the bobbin, while themember a is concave at its upper end engaging the side 4 of the head ofthe bobbin, the purpose of 0, into which the end of the bobbin fits.

-mounted fast on the shaft d.

which is to prevent the bobbin from being pushed out in the wrongdirection by the shuttle when the change of bobbins is taking place, aswill hereinafter more fully appear. The retainers e are provided withscrew-holes e for attaching them to the chains. The correspondingalternate outer links of the chain E carry the combined retainersandthreadend holders, which hold the other ends of the bobbins and whichconsist of, a metallic strip 2, provided near its upper end with acavity See Figs. 9 and 10.) The lower end of the s trip is bent upwardupon itself and then outward and upward, forming an arm 9", whichconstitutes the thread-end holder to which the thread or filling E issecured. Between each pair of these retainers is carried a filled bobbinF, (see Fig. 3,) where two bobbins are shown in the magazine, the restbeing omitted for the sake of clearness in the drawings. The otherbobbin-holders are also omitted from Figs. 3 and 4 for the same reason.The bobbins in the magazine are brought successively into the feedingposition and held there for the proper length of time by theelectromagnetically-operated ratchet and detent mechanism. (Shown mostclearly in Figs. 2 and 3.) This mechanism comprises, among other parts,the electromagnet G, secured to the frame of the loom, as shown, andhaving an armature g, secured to an arm 9, which is pivoted at one endto the loom-frame, as at The other end of the arm 9 is pivoted to a rodg, which is in turn pivoted at its upper end to an arm 9, looselysecured at one end to the shaft d. This arm g carries a pawl g whichengages a ratchet-wheel g mounted fast on the shaft (1. The arm g androd g are pivoted, as at g to a rod or link 9 w the frame A, and at itsother end to the upper endof the rod g where it is also pivoted to anarm 9 The arm g is pivoted at its other end, as at to adetent-lever 9which is pivoted at its upper end, as at g, to the frame A. The lowerend of the detent-lever is provided with a lug (1 which engages theteeth of a detent wheel The arms or members g and g form a toggle-joint,which is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by a coil-springg, mounted on the arm g and secured at one end to said arm and at theother to the end g of the member 9.

H represents. a self-threading shuttle hav-. ing the bobbin-retainingsprings h, provided with the transverse grooves 72, which are adaptedtoengage the rolled threads or beads An arm g is pivoted, as at 9 to t"on the head of the bobbin I, as hereinafter more fully described.

Secured to the bolt 71/ which holds the springs 72 and countersunk intothe shuttle is a metallic contact-plate 71 the portion k of which isflush with the face of the shuttle, so that it will be seen that thereis a continuous electrical connection from the plate 77, through thebolt h and springs h to the head of the bobbin, which is provided with ametallic ferrule '6, having the formed threads or heads *5.

countersunk in race-iron J are two metallic contact-springs 7' j, placedbeside each other, while in the race-iron at the other end of the layare similarly mounted the metallic contact-springs 3' Thesecontact-springs normally extend slightly above the surface of therace-iron, so that when the shuttle has reached the extremity of itstravel in either direction the plate h carried by the shuttle, will makecontact with the sprin'gsjj orj j dependent upon which end of the laythe shuttle is at that time. The contact-spring 7' is electricallyconnected to one of the poles of a battery or other source ofelectricity K, while the other spring j is electrically connected to theinsulated metallic contactspring L, mounted on the breast-beam M of theloom. (See Fig. 5.) The spring-contact L is adapted to make contact atcertain times, hereinafter described, with a metallic contact= piece L,carried by the shaft N. The contact-piece L is electrically connectedwith the electromagnet G, which is in turn connected to the source ofelectricity or battery K, (see Fig. 4,) where the electric circuits areindicated by dotted lines. A second electric circuit passes from thebattery K through the coils of the electromagnet G, and thence to aninsulated metallic contact spring 0 and through a second insulatedcontact-spring O,

mounted close to the springO and then to an insulated metallic contactspring P, and mounted near this spring P is an insulated metalliccontact-spring P, which is electrically connected to the battery K. Theelectric circuit is completed through the springs P and P at the propertime by the boss Q,

mounted on the shaft Q, (see Fig. 1,) which boss engages the spring Pand causes it to make contact withthe spring P, while the circuit iscompleted through the contactsprings O and O by the bobbin-retainers e,which as they come into the feeding position strike the spring 0 andcause it to contact with the spring 0.

The means for detecting an empty or almost empty bobbin and operatingthe magazine so as to supply a filled bobbin to the shuttle after thefilling has become nearly exhausted comprises, among other parts, afeeler R, which consists of a metallic spring located at the right-handend of the loom and secured fast to the frame A or otherwise to theframe ofthe loom. The feeler extends into the shuttle-box C and is solocated that when the shuttle reaches the position shown in dotted lineson the right in Fig. 4 the feeler will rest upon the filling or threadof the shuttle and will continue to rest thereon at trically connectedto the coil of an electromagnet R, which is in turn connected with thebattery K. The electromagnet R is mounted fast upon the filling-forkslide 1", which is mounted to slide in the usual manner in the bracket'r,'secured to the breastbeam M. A bell-crank lever r is pivoted at r tothe slide 1". The arm 1' of this lever forms an armature for saidelectromagnet, while the depending arm r acts as a dog, which when themagnet R attracts the armature 0' will engage the filling-fork hammer S,which is formed upon the end of the lever S, pivoted upon the shaft 8,all of whichis most clearly shown in Fig. 5. The depending arm 1' of thelever r is normally held up out of the path of the hammer S by thespring 7"". The lever S rests upon a cam T, carried by the shaft Q, bymeans of which cam the desired rocking motion is imparted to thefilling-fork hammer S, as is well understood in the art. An eye 9',secured to the back of the slide 7', engages the upper end of an arm n,which extends through the breast-beam from the shaft N, to which it isrigidly secured. The filling-fork U is pivoted in the slide 7*, as at 1-in front of the comb V.

Assuming the magazine to be filled with fresh or filled bobbins, theoperation of our invention is as follows: When the filling on the bobbinin the shuttle has become exhausted, or nearly so, the feeler' R willmake contact with the metallic head of the bobbin when the shuttle hasreached its right-hand position. This will complete the electric circuitthrough the contacts j and 72 to the battery and from there through theelectromagnet B. When this takes place, the magnet R will attract itsarmature r and throw the arm '1' (see Fig. 5) in the path of thefillingfork hammer S, which upon its backward stroke will engage thecatch of arm r and move the filling-fork slide 1' with it. This willrock the arm n and cause the contactmaker L to engage the contact L,which wi ll partly complete the circuit from the battery through thecoils of the magnets G; but this circuit will not be entirely completeduntil the shuttle reaches the shuttle-box O and is in the properposition there to receive the new bobbin. When it has reached thatposition, the contact-plate 7L3, carried by it, will complete theelectric circuit across the springs j and j The magnet G will thenbecome energized and draw down its armature. The efiect of this will beto cause the pawl g to rotate the ratchet-wheel g one-eighth of itsrevolutionthat is, to a sulficient extent to bring the fresh bobbin atposition 1, Fig. 1, into position 2, where the retainer is shown indotted lines. As the ratchet rotates this distance the detent-lever 9rises out of the detent-wheel,

but returns to it when the wheel has rotated the proper distance andengages it between its teeth, preventing it from rotating further untilthe magnet is acted on. This motion of the detent-lever is obtained bythe use of the toggle-joint at g g, as will be readily under stood. Whenthis has taken place and the fresh-filled bobbin is in position 2, Fig.1, the lay will beat up and drive the shuttle into engagement with thebobbin, forcing the shuttle-springs over the bobbin-head and ejectingthe empty bobbin, which will be pushed out by the filled one. The laythen beats back, taking the filled bobbin with it, as the friction ofthe bobbin-springs against the bobbin-head is greater than the frictionbetween the bobbin-retainers of the magazineand the bobbin. When thebobbin has thus been fed to the shuttle, the retainers which carried itcannot, however, remain in position 2, but must be carried into position3 just as soon as the change has been made and before the lay reachesthe end of its next forward beat. This is accomplished by causing eachbobbinretainer 6 of the magazine as it comes into position 2 to engage acontact-spring O, which will therebybe brought into contact with thespring 0, which will partly complete an electric circuit from thebattery through the magnet G. The electric circuit is then entirelycompleted by the boss Q on the shaft Q bringing the contact-spring Pinto engagenientwith the spring P. The magnets G thus become energizedand operate the ratchet and detent mechanism, as before described, andsend the empty bobbin-retainers into position 3. Exactly the sameoperation is repeated for all of the succeeding filled bobbinsthat is,when the filling of the one in use hecomes about exhausted.

The operation when the filling becomes broken is as follows: When thefilling is broken, the end a of the filling-fork, as is well understoodin the art, will not be lifted from the path of the filling-fork hammerS, but will be engaged by it and push the slide 1" back, operating thearm n and making electrical connection between the contacts L and L.This will partly complete the circuit through the magnet G, whichcircuit will be completed when the shuttle arrives at that position inthe box C where its contact 7L will be brought into engagement with thecontact-springs j and f. This will energize the magnet G and cause anew-filled bobbin of the magazine to be brought from position 1 toposition 2 and fed to the. shuttle, as hereinbefore described.

The bobbin-retainers are then passed on to position 3, just as beforedescribed, by the completion of the circuit of the magnet G, through thecontacts O and P P.

Having thus described our invention, we do not wish to be understood asconfining ourselves to the specific form and details shown anddescribed,as many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. a

What we claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a loom, the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, of meansfor controlling the operation thereof including an electric circuit, theelectric condition of which is changed iliary circuit partiallycompleted by change in the electric condition of the first-namedcircuit, and subsequently operating means for wholly completing saidauxiliary circuit.

3. In a loom, the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, of meansfor controlling the operation thereof including an electri'ccircuit theelectric condition of which is changed upon the exhaustion of thefilling in an active shuttle to a predetermined amount, and a secondcircuit completed by the said shuttle.

4. In a loom, the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, of meansfor controlling the operation thereof including an electric circuit theelectric condition of which is changed upon the exhaustion of thefilling in an active shuttle to apredetermined amount, and a secondcircuit completed by the said shuttle when in the changing position.

5. In a loom, the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, of meansfor controlling the operation thereof including an electric circuit, theelectric condition of which is changed upon the exhaustion of thefilling in an active shuttle to a predetermined amount, an aux iliarycircuit partially completed by change in the electric condition of thefirst-named circuit and wholly completed by the shuttle.

6. In aloom, the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, of meansfor controlling the operation thereof including an electric circuit, theelectric condition of which is changed upon the exhaustion of thefilling in an active shuttle to a predetermined amount, an auxiliarycircuit partially completed by change in the electric condition of thefirst-named circuit and wholly completed by the shuttle when the saidshuttle is in the changing position.

7. Inaloom, the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, of meansfor controlling the operation thereof including an electric circuit, theelectric condition of which is changed upon the exhaustion of thefilling in an active shuttle to a predetermined amount, an auxiliarycircuit partially completed by change in the electric condition of thefirst-named circuit, and means for completing said auxiliary circuitwhen the shuttle is in the changing position.

8. In a loom, thecombination with the lay, shuttle boxes, shuttle andfilling changing mechanism, of means for controlling the operation ofsaid filling-changing mechanism including electric contacts carried bysaid shuttle-boxes, an electric circuit including a set of said contactsand having its electric condition changed upon the exhaustion ofthefilling in an active shuttle to a predetermined amount, a secondcircuit, and means for completing the same through another set of saidcontacts when the shuttle is in the feeding po sition.

9. In a loom, the combination with the lay, shuttle-boxes, shuttle andfillingchanging mechanism, of means for controlling the operation ofsaid filling-changing mechanism, including electric contacts carriedbysaid shuttle-boxes, an electric circuit including a set of saidcontacts and having its electric condition changed upon the exhaustionof the filling in an active shuttle to a predetermined amount, and asecond circuit completed by the closure of another set of contacts bythe shuttle when it is in its changing position.

10. In a loom, the combination with an electromagnetically-operatedchanging mechanism, of means for controlling the operation thereofincluding an electric circuit, the electric condition of which ischanged on the exhaustion of the filling to a predetermined amount, andan electromagnetic circuit making and breaking device in said circuit.

11. In a loom, the combination with an electromagnetically operatedfilling changing mechanism, of means for controlling the operationthereof including an electric circuit the electric condition of which ischanged upon the exhaustion of the filling in an active shuttle to apredetermined amount, and an auxiliary circuit governed by the change inthe electric condition of the first-named circuit.

12. In a loom, the combination with an electromagnetically operatedfilling changing mechanism, of means for controlling the operationthereof including an electric circuit the electric condition-of which ischanged upon the exhaustion of the filling in an ICC 30- tive shuttle toa predetermined amount, and

a second circuit completed by the said shuttle. 13. In a loom, abobbin-magazine forautomatically supplying bobbins to the shuttle,bobbins carried by said magazine, electromagnets operating to bring thebobbins of said magazine successively into the feeding position, anelectric circuit passing through the coils of said magnets, an electriccircuit governing the operation of said magnet-circuit, and means forchanging the electric condition of said governing-circuit upon theexhaustion of the filling in an active shuttle to a predeterminedamount.

14:. In aloom,the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, of meansfor controlling the operation thereof including an electric circuit, andmeans operated upon the breaking of the active filling for initiatingthe completion of said circuit.

15. In aloom,the combination With a fillingchanging mechanism, of meansfor controlling the operation thereof including an electric circuit, andmeans operated upon the breaking of the active filling for partiallycompleting the said circuit.

16. In aloom,the combination with afillingchanging mechanism, of meanscontrolling the operation thereof including an electric circuit, meansoperated upon the breaking of the active filling for initiating thecompletion of said circuit, a shuttle, and means operated by the shuttlewhen in the changing position for completing said circuit.

17. In a loom,the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, of meanscontrolling the operation thereof, including an electric circuit, afilling-fork, and means operated by the filling-fork upon the breakingof the active filling for initiating the completion of said circuit.

1 18. In a loom,the combination with a fillingchanging mechanism, ofmeans for controlling the operation thereof, including an electriccircuit, a filling-fork, means operated by the filling-fork upon thebreaking of the active filling, and partially completing said circuit, ashuttle, and means operated by the shuttle for completing said circuit.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

W. E. MOORE. FRANK R. CLARK. Witnesses:

0.0. SIMPSCO, OT'ro HAKE.

